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BMW places the battery in the trunk to achieve (or to come as close as possible) a 50% front/50% rear weight distribution on its cars. The 50/50 rule is important because the car is "balanced" achieving consistent/predictable handling characteristics under different driving conditions.
If you are looking for a new battery, reference the except below:
"I needed a new (540i) battery and I looked on the side and a sticker read manufactured by DBMC in Winston-Salem, N.C. That just happens to be where I live. It cost me $100.21 and the new battery is the same save for no maintenance now."
Hope this helps....JL
Good luck...JL
Best Regards,
Shipo
Jack
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
Thanks in advance
Amato's is supposed to be good, but also very expensive. I haven't used them. I have used All-American Paint and Body for rear bumper repairs on both a Jeep and an Infiniti, both with excellent results.
If you're going through an insurance claim, it's also less of a hassle to pick a body shop that's on the insurance company's pre-approved list. Then you don't have to wait for an adjustor to verify the body shop's estimate before repairs can begin. You're not required to use a pre-approved body shop, though.
Back to the pollution, I was last in Paris about 3 years ago. I was in the Stade de France area (I think this is St. Denis) but I saw sulfur gas coming from a industrial plant. Paris in my humble opinion might not have the air quality of Houston because of temperature. But if they did, I think Paris would be worse.
Europeans might not have as many cars but they do have the population density issue. Also, to own a car is a premium. Europe might be progressive with pollution control, because they need to be. England during the winter can be terrible especially with people burning coal fireplaces.
Go to an independent shop recommended by your dealer or friends. You have a much better chance of having your car fixed the right way.
I wouldn't use that as a primary criteria though -- but if you can find a shop that somebody else recommends, and it also happens to be pre-approved, that's a bonus -- less hassle.
I know when unleaded gas became common, older engines started exhibiting problems, because they relied on the lead as a lubricant for the valves.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
-hangun
A theory; when I pulled up at the school and locked my car, there were any number of other folks doing the same, at the same exact time, including other BMWs. Could there have been just too many Lock/Unlock codes flying around in the air at the same time, and the "Rolling Code" got tweaked?
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
..g
Was BMW's press introduction in Sardinia. Appears they drove only new 530i, both 6-speed manual and automatic. They did not drive SMG.
I think the pictures show the new styling isn't as bad as the doom-sayers allege. If anything, I'm more concerned about the interior styling, esp. the dash. Dash just doesn't look very sporting. Too dignified and luxurious.
The seat/mirror memory issue is separate. I believe BMW calls it key memory. I have 2 E39's and it has NEVER worked properly on either. I wondered at the time why the salesman discouraged me from having the feature turned on when I purchased the cars. And BMW wants to put the idrive on the new 5, making it even more electronically complex!
Terry
SMG is a fully manual transmission, though the clutch-work is done by the computer and you can put it in "drive" and allow the computer to do all the shifting for you. SMG similar to F1 racing-type transmission.
As far as the E39 goes, I went poking around a local dealer's showroom on Saturday (it was weird not working on Saturday, I had so much time) and there was a beautiful Black/Black PP, SP, and I don't know what else 525i with a 5 speed manual. Definitely a cool car.
The guy infron of me at the car wash had a light blueish/Black Interior 540iA SP with the M5 wheels, and M5 badges on the side (glued on crooked). Before I spotted the Auto trans, I saw only 1 tailpipe sticking out the back, not 4 so I knew. While our cars were being dried, I asked him how he liked his 540. He said "It's an M5, and I love it." As he said that I told him his car was nice and to have a nice weekend.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Though I guess that Dinan S3 automatic is supposedly the next best thing to such a thing as an "official" M5a.
Is interesting that Alpina finally came officially to USA by offering what ends up being their Z8a. Go figure!
Do keep in mind that BMW buys automatic transmissions from others. Believe many are now GM's built in France. Thinking others are ZFs. Heart of BMW's Steptronic is the internal electronic "brains" that control the shifting. Others use the same transmission (e.g., Cadillac CTS) with different "brains".
BMW also outsources its manuals. Historically to ZF and Getrag.
For the last week my soon to be 70 year old Mother-In-Law (we call her Muzzy; don't ask) has been with us so she can do "Kid Duty" while I am across the pond in London and Paris for the next week or so. Needless to say, given that she lives in Dallas, I have had to show her around to the various points that she will have to navigate to by herself during my absence. As a result, she has spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel in my 530i 5-Speed, PP, SP (yes, like her daughter Mrs. Shipo, Muzzy Loves driving cars with three pedals, go figure). What I find entertaining is her constant praise for how wonderful my 5er is to drive, and how good it looks, inside and out (she is an interior designer by trade), however, her most frequent comment is how smooth and supple the ride is. She has commented several times on how the ride feels smoother than her (former) employers' S-Class MB, which didn't handle as well either for that matter. To top it off, Muzzy (at a whopping 5'4" and 95 pounds) has absolutely no meat on her bones to absorb any undue/abrupt motions to her backside, so I guess she should know.
In the final analysis, a 5-Series with the SP does in fact firm up the ride a little when compared to the non SP equipped cars (in exchange for a considerable bump in the cars' handling abilities), however, that does not mean that you are going to lose the fillings from you teeth every time you drive over a rough road.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Sport Pkg is only way to go!